• Source: 209th Coastal Division (Italy)

The 209th Coastal Division (Italian: 209ª Divisione Costiera) was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. Royal Italian Army coastal divisions were second line divisions formed with reservists and equipped with second rate materiel. They were often commanded by officers called out of retirement.




History


The division was activated on 20 April 1943 in Bari by expanding the IX Coastal Brigade. The division was assigned to IX Army Corps and had its headquarter in Noicattaro. The division was responsible for the coastal defense of the coast of northern Apulia between the river Saccione and Torre Testa del Gallico near Brindisi.
After the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943 the division immediately fought German forces and then surrendered on 11 September to the British 1st Airborne Division. On 15 September the Allies reactivated the division, which joined the Italian Co-belligerent Army and for the rest of the Italian campaign performed rear area security and work duties as 209th Division for the British Eighth Army. The division was disbanded in autumn 1945.




Organization


209th Coastal Division, in Noicattaro
112th Coastal Regiment
3x Coastal battalions
15th Coastal Regiment
3x Coastal battalions
41st Coastal Artillery Grouping
4x Coastal artillery groups
IX Machine Gun Battalion
209th Mixed Engineer Company
264th Anti-paratroopers Unit
432nd Anti-paratroopers Unit
434th Anti-paratroopers Unit
209th Carabinieri Section
185th Field Post Office
Division Services
Attached to the division:

Harbor Defense Command Bari, in Bari
XIX Garrison Battalion
XLI Bersaglieri Battalion
CXXXV Coastal Battalion
CXCVI Coastal Artillery Group
CXCVII Coastal Artillery Group
LXXXIX Coastal Artillery Group
15th Anti-tank Company (47/32 anti-tank guns)
692nd Machine Gun Company
4th Airfield Defense Grouping, at Bari Air Base (Royal Italian Air Force)
XI Airmen Battalion
VIII Anti-aircraft Artillery Group
3x Anti-aircraft artillery batteries
CCLIII CC.NN. Battalion




Commanding officers


The division's commanding officers were:

Generale di Brigata Luigi Amato (20 April 1943 - ?)
Generale di Divisione Roberto Olmi (1945)




References



Paoletti, Ciro (2008). A Military History of Italy. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98505-9.
Jowett, Philip S. (2000). The Italian Army 1940-45 (1): Europe 1940-1943. Osprey, Oxford - New York. ISBN 978-1-85532-864-8.

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

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• 209th Division
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• List of Italian divisions in World War II
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